Unforgettable
by SqLib
Summary: Two years after the strike Jack is trying to move on with his life, but ghosts of the past are holding him back.


Disclaimer- I do not own Newsies or any of the historical figures possibly mentioned in this story. I greatly appreciate any reviews. My grammar leaves much to be desired and I have a tendency towards redundancy, so feel free to critique my writing style too.  
~1~ Jack whistled as he walked down the street, papers held securely under his arm. He walked with the nonchalance of youth, back and legs strong in the warm morning sun, but as the light hit his brown eyes, a much older expression was revealed. He paused at a certain wall of a building on the corner of Parker, murmuring the same song under his breath, brought two fingers to his lips and touched the wall, resting them in silence and then resumed walking. Every day the same thing, the same song, the same gestures...the neighborhood knew him well by then. The grocer held out the young woman's bag, but she was distracted. He followed her gaze and found it settled on the young man that had just passed. "Ah," he said knowingly, "I see you've seen our Mr. Kelly." "Hmm... I'-I'm sorry?" she replied startled. Mr. Hammond nodded towards Jack's retreating figure. "Jack Kelly, strike leader", he nodded approvingly. She took the bag, raising her eyebrows quizzically, "Strike? What strike?" "You didn't hear? The big newspaper strike?" He looked at her strangely and then leaned over, shaking his hands excitedly." Why that boy there took on old man Pulitzer himself and not only that he got the whole city talking about what they do to those poor kids in the sweat shops. That kid," he shook his head admiringly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be somebody big someday." The girl thanked him and walked up to the tenement across the street, her gaze settled on the spot in the distance where Jack had disappeared. "Jack Kelly." She murmured.  
~2~  
The day had been warm, but each breeze reminded him that fall was fast approaching. He walked up to the building, pulling self-consciously at his shirt and trousers, trying to dust them off as best he could before ringing the buzzer. Above him Les stuck his head out the window.  
  
"Mom! Dad! David! Jack's here! Come up Cowboy, I've been waiting for you for hours."  
"Sure thing, Les." Jack grinned. In the two years Jack had known him, Les had changed, but he was still the same sweet guy he'd been at nine. David opened the door smiling, "Hey Jack, how's the headline." "Scandal at the Whitehouse." Jack said smiling back at him, spitting in his hand and shaking David's as he did likewise. "I sold two hundred." "Did you hear that honey, Jack sold two hundred newspapers?" David's father came to the door. "Well, that's wonderful, but are you going to keep him out there all night? Where are your manners? Invite him in!" The four men laughed and sat down to dinner.  
After dinner, Jack and David stood against the railing of the fire escape, listening in silence as Manhattan put itself to bed. David looked over at his best friend and wondered how could he look so strong, but be falling apart all at the same time. Dinner had been pleasant, but something was missing, something was always missing. Every time they went to pass the butter, or to ask how someone's day was, they found themselves dropping their eyes on the empty chair, before stumbling back awkwardly into the conversation. Jack seemed acutely aware of that emptiness; it was as if every time he looked at that chair, the fact that she wasn't sitting there laughing and smiling hit him all over again. David sighed, letting the cool evening air wash over him and glanced over at his friend. Jack would be going home soon, he'd already bid goodnight to the rest of the family, David patted him on the shoulder, and Jack tilted his head and smiled at him. He walked through the window and left Jack alone with his thoughts.  
It was a beautiful night, clear and cool and lit by the stars above. She breathed in deeply, calming every one of her frazzled nerves. Oh what a day it had been! She'd spent the whole day trying to find her way around the city in order to do her chores and things still weren't settled. She eased herself out of the window and onto the railing. New York was beautiful at night, lit by a hundred different lights, but it still lacked the enthralling silence of the countryside, the absolute peace. From her left, she heard someone humming, murmuring the words to a song... Over the seas and prairies too, I wandered the earth in search of you, You are the one, My dearest sweet, The one with whom I am complete, Without you my soul would wither and die, Together forever just you and I Together forever just you and I... His voice faded into the night and catching a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye, he smiled at her sadly and walked away.  
  
~3~ It was Tuesday before she saw him again She was terribly late for her part time job at Tibby's and so she broke out into a run. As she turned the corner she slammed full force into a person walking in the opposite direction. "I-I'm so, so sorr...". She tried to pick herself up and help him, but he shoved her gruffly and rose to his feet. Her wrist twisted painfully beneath her and she exclaimed loudly. He glared at her and started to walk away when a young man placed himself in his path, bumping into his shoulder. "Excuse me. We have a problem here?" his New York accent accentuated the challenge in his voice. The older man looked about to reply when he looked up and saw the young man's face. "No, not that I know of." He replied skittishly looking down over his shoulder at her. She tried to see who the young man was. "That's what I thought. Now why don't you apologize for knocking the young lady over? Where I come from, that's not good manners." He crossed his hands over his newspapers in front of him. "Sorry miss." "Atta-boy." The man glared at her once more, and walked away hurriedly. A hand was thrust in her field of vision, "Let me help you up Miss." She looked up and blushing in recognition, she took his hand. "Thank you," she said sheepishly, "I really ought to be more careful." "Careful to what? Jerks that'll knock you over?" he looked at her skeptically. "Well, just to be fair, I did knock him over." She smiled at him tentively.  
  
"You did, did you?" his face was serious, but his eyes danced in amusement.  
  
"Well, you know a girl my size could plow through a building with that much momentum." He laughed. "I'm Sylvia Balducci." She stuck out her hand awkwardly "Jack Kelly." He shook her hand and the glint of his watch caught her eye.  
  
"Oh darn it! I am so late." She started to run away, but paused and looked over her shoulder. "Thank you Mr. Kelly, for all you've done." "Please, call me Jack Miss Balducci." "Only if you'll call me Sylvia." She called back, before disappearing around the street corner.  
~4~  
David shivered as the cold breeze passed through his thin cotton shirt.  
"Geez." He complained to Jack. "Was it just me or was it still summer two days ago."  
"Yeah, looks like its going to be a long winter." He opened the door to Tibby's, allowing David to enter first. He paused, looked up at the moon, "A very long winter" he murmured.  
"What do you mean it's not a snow angel? I think I know what a snow angel looks like." "Well that sure isn't one. That looks like some kind of splotch," he looked down at it and up at her teasingly, "A tree maybe." "Ah, I know you just didn't..." "Didn't what?" "Ahhhhhhh." She tackled him, and they wrestled each other for a minute. He ended up on top of her and their eyes met; he bent down, easing his face closer to hers- "Cowboy! Sarah! What-cha doing?" Jack looked up startled and Sarah giggled. He looked down and she shoved a snowball in his face, getting out from under his grasp and running away laughing. "I'm going to get you." He called after her, before collapsing in a fit of laughter as Les tackled him from behind. He entered the crowded restaurant, letting the door shut behind him. 


End file.
